Democrats defend Tuesday Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, says Republican critics are “completely ominous” because they made remarks she made in Minnesota that gave her a reprimand from the judge following the Derek Chauvin trial in George’s death Floyd led.
On Monday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, accused Waters of ‘incitement to violence’ said that if Democrats do not take action against the congresswoman, who chairs the House’s Financial Services Committee, he will ‘take action this week’.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Told reporters that the criticism of GOP over Waters was “a dishonest distraction” and “absurd”, adding that the chairman’s remarks does not amount to a call for violence.
“I think it’s a completely awkward attempt to deduce from what Republicans know that rhetoric is from so many of their members, who have helped and approved of violent activities in practice,” he said.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y., ridiculed McCarthy for having the “nerve” to aim at Waters’ remarks after the January 6 riot of the Capitol, pointing to his vote against the confirmation of the Electoral College’s voices following the violence and said he should focus on his own caucus.
“If you have a situation where Lauren Boebert is a mess, Matt Gaetz is a mess, Marjorie Taylor Greene is a mess,” Jeffries said. ‘Clean up your mess, Kevin. Put this one out. ‘
And in an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Rep. Jim Clyburn, DS.C., said Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., “Said much worse things than” Waters’ comment “minutes before the uprising” when he spoke for it during the protest, “and I can not remember Kevin McCarthy saying one word about it. . “
“So, if he were to present the resolution, I would hope that he would also bring a resolution on Mo Brooks,” Clyburn said.
Waters made the remarks during a protest rally Saturday in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a suburb near where the Chauvin trial is being held which was shot by protesters after Daunte Wright, 20, was killed by police this month.
“We need to become more confrontational,” Waters told reporters when asked what would happen if Chauvin was acquitted. “We need to make sure they know what we mean by business.”
Waters, meanwhile, said she was not moved by the GOP criticism of her comments. Some Republican lawmakers have called for her to be expelled from Congress.
On Monday, Chauvin’s lawyer asked the judge to declare a mistake on Waters’ comments, arguing that she had harmed the jury in effect. The request was denied, but Judge Peter Cahill called the comments “appalling”.
“I’m going to let you know that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that could lead to this entire trial being overturned,” Cahill said when the arguments were settled and jury deliberations began.
In a conversation with reporters Tuesday, reporter Steve Scalise, R-La., Was asked if Waters’ comments should be worthy, why would Brooks not be like that either. At the rally, Brooks told the crowd that it was time to ‘start taking names and kicking a hole’.
“Well, I have spoken very clearly against any political rhetoric that incites violence,” said Scalise, the second-ranked Republican who was injured by a politically motivated shooter while playing baseball in 2017. ‘If you look at Maxine Waters’ comments, the judge in the trial just yesterday admitted that Maxine Waters’ comments are so provocative that it could give grounds for an appeal if the verdict goes wrong. ‘
He said McCarthy will soon bring a resolution to the House floor to censor Waters.
“It’s a powder keg down there, and the last thing you want to do is aggravate it and especially to give grounds for an appeal,” he said. ‘Look, we all watched what happened and saw Officer Chauvin cross the line. We must all focus on making sure that justice is done. The last thing you want to do is give reasons for an appeal that the judge himself acknowledges. ‘
Haley Talbot contributed.